Package of twine or the like



Dec. 22, 1959 M. A. BOURQUIN PACKAGE OF TWINE OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 24,1958 PACKAGE F TWINE OR THE LIKE Maurice A. Bourquin, East Granby, Conn.

Application January 24, 1958, Serial No. 710,940

4 Claims. (Cl. 20664) The present invention relates to a package oftwine, yarn or similar elongated flexible articles. The packagecomprises a group of identical lengths of twine, for example, gatheredinto a generally cylindrical bundle in which each length of twine liesapproximately parallel with all of the other lengths thereof. Suchbundle is en closed in a flexible wrapper. A particular feature of thepresent invention is the inclusion in such a package of a length ofrelatively rigid metallic wire or rod which will impart a degree ofstiffness to the package and thus will facilitate the withdrawal fromthe package of individual lengths of the twine or similar materialtherein.

Packages of the general type to which this invention is applicable areold and well kown, a common example thereof being embroidery floss whichis frequently sold in bundles of uniformly cut lengths wrapped in apaper tube. The present invention, however, is of particular utility inconnection with packages of this general type but which may be of veryconsiderable length and which may be temporarily attached to a wrappingor work table in a convenient position for the withdrawal of individuallengths having some predetermined specific length appropriate for arepetitive operation being conducted at such table. One particularexample of use in which this invention is particularly successful is inconnection with the application of lengths of twine to laths for thepurpose of hanging leaf tobacco in drying barns. Such laths are in theorder of five or six feet in length and the lengths of twine areappropriately somewhat longer. For rapid and convenient positioning ofthe twine on the laths it has been found advantageous to providepackages of individual strands of twine cut to the proper length andwrapped in a flexible cylindrical wrapper which may be attached at someconvenient point to the work table. In view of the great length of twinefor this and similar purposes it has been found that the package tendsto sag, thus increasing the friction between adjacent lengths of twineand greatly increasing the danger of entanglement within the package.

According to the present invention, a length of relatively rigid wire orrod stock of substantially the same length as the twine and made ofmetal or other appropriate material is gathered into the bundle oftwine. Such rod or wire will remain effective as the twine is dispensedfrom the package and will continue to hold the package in a generalalignment such as to greatly reduce the liability of the twine becomingentangled. By proper choice of the metal or other material from whichthe stilfening member is made, the member can be cut to lengthsimultaneously with the twine during assembly of the package withoutinjury to the cutting mechanism. Also, the package may be bent or curvedinto some convenient shape for attachment to the work table, the bendingthereof serving to hold the package in the selected shape throughout itslife. A particularly appropriate material for the stiffening wire or rodis aluminum wire having a diameter of perhaps The aluminum is relativelyStates Patent ice soft and can be cut readily by the same mechanism usedto cut the twine. Also, the aluminum is quite ductile and can be bentinto a desired shape which it will retain, thus rigidifying the entirepackage in the shape into which it has been bent.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a package comprisinga plurality of parallelly arranged identical lengths of flexiblematerial such as twine wrapped in a flexible cylindrical sleeve andprovided with a relatively stiff reinforcing member extending from endto end of the package for the purpose of holding the same in desiredshape during use. Other and further objects will become apparent from aconsideration of the following detailed description of a preferred, butnot necessarily the only, form of the invention taken in connection withthe drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a package of twine or the likeembodying the present invention in which the stiffening member has beenpartially extracted so as to be readily visible;

Fig. 2 is a typical section along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a typical section along the line 33 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic showing of a package embodying thepresent invention attached in operative position upon a work table.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is shown package 10embodying the present invention comprising a bundle 12 of individualidentical lengths of twine forming a generally cylindrical body in whichall of the lengths of twine are substantially parallel. The bundle 12 isenclosed in a tubular wrapper 14. Ordinarily such bundles of twine andthe enclosing wrappers are formed in automatic machinery as a continuouslength which is cut into appropriate lengths for the particular useintended. That is, twine from any suitable source is conducted in asuitable number of paths to a gathering device in which a continuousbundle, usually comprising several hundred parallel lengths of twine, isformed and the wrapper is supplied in continuous form from some othersuitable source to be assembled exteriorly of the bundle. The combinedwrapper and bundle is projected through a suitable cutting device whichcuts transversely through the wrapper and the twine to form individualpackages of desired length.

It is intended in such a package that the individual lengths of twinemay be withdrawn, one at a time, without substantial danger ofentanglement with the remaining lengths of twine. However, due to theinherent limpness of twine and similar materials this intention is notalways fulfilled.

For certain uses lengths of twine in the order of five or six feet ormore may be required. If such lengths are supplied in a package such asthat so far described, there is the likelihood of sagging, bending ortwisting thereof between points of support which eventually will lead toentanglement or other difliculty in the removal of individual lengths oftwine from the package.

The present invention resides in the provision in such a package ofrelatively rigid elongated member which will serve to impart a desireddegree of rigidity to the entire package throughout its life. Thus inFig. 1 there is shown a wire or rod 16 which is positioned within thepackage and extends from end to end thereof. The elongated member 16 mayconveniently comprise a relatively heavy gauge wire made of aluminumwhich, because of its relative softness, may be fed into the assemblingmachine along with the twine and which may be cut by the usual cuttersprovided for transversely severing the assembly into packages of desiredlength.

As will be observed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the elongated member 16lies'approximately centrally of the bundle 12 although no effort need beexpended in exactly centering the same or in arranging it preciselyparallel with the twine lengths. Also, it will be understood that theelongated member 16 instead of being assembled with the bundle 12 in-thecourse of the manufacture of the package'10' can be inserted by hand orotherwise into packages already manufactured. In the latter event theelongated member 16 need not be exactly the same length as the package.However, for practical purposes, it is much preferred toassemble'theelongated member 16 with the package during the course ofmanufacture. For purposes of'illustration, in Fig. 1 the wrapper 14 hasbeen pushed back-somewhat at the left-hand end of the package and themember 16 has'been pulled out so as to be visible.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a typical utilization of a packageembodying the present invention. In said figure a work table 20supported on legs 22 is provided for the performance of some operationof repetitive nature in which lengths of twine or the like are required.For example, the work performed at the table '20 may be the tying of asuccession of packages of identical sizes or itmay be the stringing oflaths of the type used for hanging leaf tobacco in drying barns. Thetable 20 is provided with any suitable means for convenient attachmentof the package 10. For example, there may be provided an appropriatenumber of hooks or brackets, usually two'such hooks orbrackets beingsuflicient for the purposes of the present invention. A package 10embodying the present invention issupported upon the hooks 24, 26, bymeans of elastic bands 28 and 30 which encircle the outer periphery ofthe package 10 under considerable tension and which may be engagedrespectively with the hooks 24 and 26. Additional snugly fitted elasticbands 32, 34, may be provided if so desired. The elastic bands exert aradially inwardly directed force which assists in maintaining theintegrity of the package substantially until the last length of twine iswithdrawn.

It is particularly important thatwith the stiffening rod or wire 16positioned within thepackage the same may be supported at only twopoints as illustrated and thus may be rapidly and efliciently attachedto the work table without substantial loss of time of the operator.

As shown in 'Fig. 4, the package 10 may be of considerable length and insuch event it may be bent as indicatedat 36 so thata'certain portion ofthe length thereof may hang freely below the remainder of the package,thus positioning the exposed ends 38 of the twine at some particularlydesirable point with respect to the surface of the work table 20.

It is preferred that the wrapper 14 be made of quite flexible'materialand while certain types of paper are satisfactory, the package isparticularly successful when a material such as thin polyethylene filmisused. Such material may be supplied in the form of a strip fedlengthwise with the continuous bundle of twine and formed into a tubearound the bundle as the package is being manufactured. The longitudinalseam may be formed by heat-sealing or adhesive, as preferred. Because ofits' flexible nature the polyethylene may progressively collapse underthe pressure of the elastic bands 28, 30, etc. and exert a sufficientand evenly distributed pressure upon the len'gths'of twine so as toprevent them from "snarling or entangling even when the package issubstantially exhausted.

Particularly When'the wrapper 14'is made of a plastic material, such aspolyethylene, there is some tendency for the portion of the wrapperwhich is pushed back to expose the ends 38 (Fig. 4) to move forwardlyand thus to progressively shorten the length of the exposed ends. It hasbeen found with the present invention that the exposed end of thereenforcing wire 16 may be bent into the position shown in broken linesin Fig. 4, wherein it will serve to hold the wrapper pushed back to thedesired degree.

If it is desired to use preformed tubular stock for the formation of thewrapper instead of the flat strip stock discussed above, a substantiallength ofsuch tubular stock may be telescoped upon the outer surface ofa metal tube. The bundle of continuous lengths of twine may be formedand conducted progressively through such metal tube and the wrapper maybe withdrawn from the outer surface of the tube to encompass the bundlemuch in the same manner as sausage skins are applied in the familiarsausage-making machine.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a relatively large number of individualidentical lengths of non-rigid material such as twine closely packed inparallel relation in a bundle of generally cylindrical conformation, atubular wrapper made of thin flexible material enclosingsaid bundle andhaving an opening at at least one end to provide access to said lengthsof twine for Withdrawal thereof one at a time, an elongated relativelyrigid reinforcing member positioned in said bundle, said reinforcingmember lying approximatelyparallel with said lengths of twine andextending substantially from end to end of said bundle, and at least onecontractible elastic band encircling the outer surface of said wrapperin a tensioned condition for continuously squeezing said wrapperinwardly into contact with said bundle to maintain said bundle inclosely packed condition as the diameter thereof progressively reducesas a result of the successive withdrawal from said bundle of saidlengths of twine.

2. A package in accordance with claim 1 wherein said thin flexiblematerial from which said tubular wrapper is made comprises polyethylene.

3. A package comprising a relatively large number of individualidentical lengths of non-rigid material such as twine closely packed inparallel relation in a bundle of generally cylindrical conformation, aflexible tubular wrapper enclosing said bundle and having an opening atat least one end to provide access to said lengths of twine forwithdrawal thereof one at a time, and a relatively rigid reinforcingmember comprising a ductile metal wire positioned in said bundle, saidreinforcingmember lying approximatelyparallel with said lengths of twineand extending substantially from end'toend of said bundle.

4. A package in accordance with claim 3 wherein said wrapper is made ofthin flexible sheet material. and said package is provided with at leastone contractible elastic band encircling the outer surface of saidwrapper in a tensioned condition for continuously squeezing said wrapperinwardly into contact with said bundle to maintain said bundle inclosely packed condition as the diameter thereof progressively reducesas a result of the successive withdrawal from said bundle of saidlengths of twine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS546,009 Graves Sept. 10, 1895 1,334,257 Partington Mar. 16, 19202,120,910 Shephard June 14, 1938 2,446,907 Cavanagh Aug. 10,19482,581,561 Shaw Ian. 8, 1952

